Clasp



Dub. 8, 1925- J. H. LYNCH CLASP Filed Feb. '7. 1925 sible.

Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH H. LYNCH, OF ASBURY EARK, NE'W JERSEY.

CLASP.

Application filed February 7, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn H. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Asbury Park, county of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic identification clasps or tags such for example as are used to keep tally of a batch of clothes that are passing through the laundry.

Such tags are characterized by means for clasping the clothes or other objects to be tagged, means for locking the tag in its closed position on the goods, provision for using the tag as a means of hanging up the clothes when reassembling them in their proper batches, and means for facilitating the application of the tags to the clothes by a tag-applying machine.

It is essential that the clasp when closed on the goods shall be as thin and flat as possible so that it may pass easily through the wringer. -t is also essential that the clasp shall present no overhanging parts, that is to say it should have a contour as simple as possible to insure that it will not catch in or injure the clothes, a further obect of this simplicity of contour being to.

facilitate the handling of the clasp by machines. It should also be as small as pos- My present invention proposes to accomplish all these advantages, and may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clasp.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the reverse side of the clasp.

Figure 3 is a side elevation in partial section with the clasp open.

Figure 4: is a side elevation of the clasp closed.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the middle of the clasp showing its application to goods.

Figure 6 is a transverse section of the clasp on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Theclasp is formed of two parts, one part consisting of two legs 1 and 2, the same being made by a piece of brass or other spring metal bent over on its sides so that at the turn shown at 3 a hinge is formed having a tendency to hold the two legs slightly apart. The other member consti- Serial No. 7,551.

tutes a sliding lock 4 which is mounted slidably upon the upper leg 1 of the clasp, being guided thereon by flanges 5, the said flanges having bent-in edges shown at 6 in Figure 6, whereby the lock is maintained in position on the member 1 while being free to move longitudinally thereon. A. bent-up tip 7 at the end of the member 1 prevents the locking member from over-traveling. When the clasp is closed on the goods, it is held securely thereon by means of projections 8 on one member registering with holes 9 on the other member. When so clasped on the goods, the locking slide may be pushed forward and the two members being near enough together, the over-hanging flanges 5 engage with lugs 10 on the side of the member 2 to hold the two members of the clasp together. In practice this is done by a machine, a pusher on the machine impinging against a boss 11 on the upper surface of the locking slide serving as an abutment for the pusher to operate upon. Near the hinged portion orifices 12 are made in both the upper and lower members and a correspondmg orifice 13 is made in the locking slide. By means of these orifices which it will be observed are at the opposite end of the tag from the fabric clasps, the clasps may be hung up on a wire or hook and thus form a means of suspending the goods and collecting them in batches. The orifices may also serve a useful function by being used in connection with a machine for holding the clasps in proper location on the machine. A specific use for clasps of this kind is in laundry work for identifying individual batches of laundry and for this purpose the tags have identification numbers shown at 15. I will be seen that the general contour of the clasp is rectangular with rounded corners, and that when closed on the goods (see Figure 5) it presents a minimum thickness so that it may pass readily through wringers and that there are no overhanging edges that would injure the goods in passing through the washing machines, and, furthermore, that the contour is of such a simple nature that the clasps lend them selves easily to ma hine handling.

I claim 1. A clasp formed of two equilateral rectangular legs spring-hinged together at one end, and a slidable locking piece guided on one leg and having turned-in flanges adapted to engage under projections on the other lit) leg when in locked position, both the legs having orifices presenting a free opening through the clasp.

2. A clasp formed of tWo equilateral rectangular legs spring-hinged together at one end, and a slidable locking piece guided on one leg and having turned-in flanges adapted to engage under projections on the other leg when in locked position, both the legs having orifices adjacent the hinged end presenting free openings through the clasp.

o. A clasp formed of two equilateral rattangular legs spring-hinged together at one end, and a slidable locking piece guided on one leg and having turned-in flanges adapted to engage under projections 011 the other leg When in locked position, both the legs and the locking piece having orifices present ing free openings through the clasp in its closed and open position.

JOSEPH H. LYNCH. 

